A Forgetful Heart by Rachel Skatvold

Author:Rachel Skatvold [Skatvold, Rachel]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Cowboy & Western Romance, Frontier, contemporary romance, Women's Fiction, Forever Love, Christian Stories, Faith Based, Inspirational Reads, Love Inspired, Bachelor, Single Woman, Hearts Desire, Clean & Wholesome, Life-Changes, Second Chances, Honesty & Trust, Home & Family, Lifetime Love, Romantic Schemes, Whispers In Wyoming Series, Resolve Past Issues, Beautiful & Feisty, Ambitious & Vivacious, Broken 'J' Ranch, Animals & Horses, Wondering Hearts, Multi-Author Series, Love-Family & Forever, Action & Adventure, Small Town & Rural Area, Novella Length Story, Short Story, Romantic Suspense, Large Arena, Rodeo Sports, Rodeo Circuit
Publisher: Rachel Skatvold
Published: 2018-03-20T04:00:00+00:00

Chapter Eleven

Austin sat straight up in bed, panting for breath. A wet tongue licked his face and he could only see a blur of brown, white and black for a moment and hear a whining dog. Austin held Copper with his good arm and spoke in a comforting voice. “It’s all right, boy. I’m fine. It was just a bad dream.”

As soon as the dog calmed down and plopped down to a comfortable place beside him, Austin slowly eased his body back against the pillows to catch his breath. He groaned at the throbbing in his arm caused by his sudden movements and closed his eyes for a moment. The warmth from the little dog beside him helped calm him down.

After a few moments, the dream came flooding back. He’d been two rides away from winning the championship when a bull got the best of him. He bucked hard right when they had barely cleared the gate. Austin had lost grip of the rope and went flying into the fence and then tumbling to the hard ground. Something released in his back, sending waves of fiery pain through him.

Then the dream had flashed forward to a fight between him and Laina. She held a bottle of pills in her hand and shouted at him, her eyes bloodshot and filled with disappointment. “Is this what we’ve come to, Austin? You’ve been lying to me all this time! I can’t do this anymore. I can’t stay here and watch you destroy yourself. I just can’t.” With that, she had turned and walked out, slamming the trailer door behind her.

Austin rubbed his face with his hands and blinked hard, realizing the truth. What had startled him awake from his mid-morning nap weren’t just dreams. They were memories. The doctor had said that his memory could return little by little, or all at once. Now he wished it wouldn’t come back at all. Maybe then, they could just start over and put the past behind him. However, it was obvious that it wasn’t going to work like that. Sooner or later they’d have to face it whether they wanted to or not.

Austin sat up slowly and dressed, remembering that he had a physical therapy appointment in a few hours. Laina had promised to drive him there and he was supposed to meet her at the stables after lunch.

A few minutes later, he walked down the path with Copper trotting by his side. When they reached the stables, he saw Laina at a table in the lobby eating a sandwich, but she wasn’t alone. Austin’s blood pressure climbed to an alarming level, noticing a blond cowboy sitting next to her, smiling and laughing in a flirtatious manner. When he touched her hand, it was the last straw. In an instant he reached the table and crossed his arms. “It doesn’t look like I was invited to this indoor picnic,” he said in a sarcastic tone, but smiled to make it appear like a joke.

The color

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